ITEM:

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS

 

24.

QUARTERLY CARMEL RIVER RIPARIAN CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PROGRAM REPORT

 

Meeting Date:

October 20, 2014

Budgeted:

N/A

 

From:

Dave Stoldt,

Program/

N/A

 

General Manager

Line Item No.:

 

Prepared By:

Thomas Christensen and

Cost Estimate:

N/A

 

Larry Hampson

 

 

                            

General Counsel Review:  N/A

Committee Recommendation:  N/A

CEQA Compliance:  N/A

 

IRRIGATION OF RIPARIAN VEGETATION: The supplemental watering of riparian restoration plantings has resumed for the summer season in 2014 at nine Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (District) riparian habitat restoration sites.  The following irrigation systems were in use April through September: deDampierre, Trail and Saddle Club, Begonia, Schulte, Schulte Bridge, All Saints, Valley Hills, San Carlos, and the Dow property.

 

            Water Use in Acre-Feet (AF)

            (preliminary values subject to revision)

           

            January - March 2014             1.21 AF

            April - June 2014                   1.68

            July – September 2014            10.20

           

            Year-to-date                            13.09 AF

 

MONITORING OF RIPARIAN VEGETATION:   During May through September 2014, staff recorded bi-monthly observations of canopy vigor on target willow and cottonwood trees to provide an indication of plant water stress and corresponding soil moisture levels.  Four locations (Rancho Cañada, San Carlos, Valley Hills, and Schulte) are monitored bi-monthly for canopy ratings based on a scale from one to ten. This scale evaluates characteristics such as yellowing leaves and percentages of defoliation (see scale on Exhibit 24-A).  A total of 12 willows and 12 cottonwoods at these locations provide a data set of established and planted sample trees that are representative of trees in the Carmel River riparian corridor.  Soil moisture values are measured at all four sites using 18-inch and 36-inch tensiometers in the soil column.  Combined with monthly readings from the District’s array of monitoring wells and pumping records for large-capacity Carmel Valley wells in the California American Water service area, the District’s monitoring provides insight into the status of soil moisture through the riparian corridor.

 

Current monitoring results for the 2014 monitoring season to date show that riparian vegetation is experiencing increased stress levels associated with groundwater pumping and the drought. Stress is exhibited in areas showing yellowing leaves and defoliation. It is anticipated that many trees will sprout back next spring with some dieback on their outer most branches.  However, it should be noted that the District is irrigating in the vicinity of Cal-Am’s major municipal production wells to help offset the impacts to riparian vegetation in the critical drawdown areas. The graph in Exhibit 24-A shows average canopy ratings for willows and cottonwoods in selected restoration sites in the lower Carmel Valley.  The graph in Exhibit 24-B shows impacts to water table elevations.

 

The types of monitoring measurements made during May through September 2014 are as follows:

            Monitoring Measurement                                        

            Canopy ratings                                                (See Exhibit 24-A for trends.)          

            Soil moisture (tensiometers)                                       

            Groundwater levels (monitoring wells)          (See Exhibit 24-B for trends.)           

            Groundwater pumping (production wells)

 

OTHER TASKS PERFORMED SINCE THE JULY 2014 QUARTERLY REPORT:

 

1.                  Carmel River Vegetation Management: District staff completed “vegetation management” work along the Carmel River during September 2014. Vegetation and debris piles were selectively removed from five critical areas with vegetation encroachment in the channel bottom. These sites were chosen to minimize the potential that high flows would be directed from the center of the channel toward the bank, possibly causing erosion and property damage.

 

2.                  Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility Intake Upgrade: The District executed a grant agreement with the State Coastal Conservancy (SCC) for design work and held a teleconference with representatives of the SCC and the National Marine Fisheries Service to discuss the requirements for soliciting proposals for the project.  A Request for Proposals is tentatively scheduled for December 2014 or January 2015.

 

3.                  State Proposition 84 Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Grant Program:  The District submitted an application to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) for $3.2 million from the 2014 Drought Grant program.  The preliminary recommendations announced by DWR did not include funds for the Monterey Peninsula region.

 

 

EXHIBITS

24-A    Average Willow and Cottonwood Canopy Rating

24-B    Depth to Groundwater

 

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